Part 24 (1/2)
”But what did he say? What did he say?” Mr. Kingley had jumped up from his big chair and was tramping up and down the office with quick excited steps.
”He said he had the car all ready to drive out, when two men came in and threatened him with a gun. They gagged him, tied him up and drove the car out of the garage. He didn't know either of them, he said. Never saw them before. They were both masked, but he thought one of them, at least, was a j.a.p.” He stopped and looked at Mr. Kingley significantly.
”A j.a.p!” repeated Mr. Kingley aghast. He stared at Joe, and he tried with all of his might to understand what Joe so plainly wanted him to understand. ”I never employed a j.a.p in my life,” he said hurriedly. ”Not in any capacity!”
”Didn't you?” questioned Joe, with even more of that puzzling significance.
”A j.a.p kidnaping the Queen of the Suns.h.i.+ne Islands,” Mr. Kingley said slowly. His eyes brightened. ”Such pub--I mean,” as he caught the indignant flash in Joe's eyes--”I mean, I hope it won't lead to any international complication.”
”I hope not,” agreed Joe, wis.h.i.+ng he could raise the top of Mr.
Kingley's head, with its s.h.i.+ning scalp and fringe of pepper-and-salt hair, and take a look at his mental machinery. ”You can't tell me anything more then, Mr. Kingley? You don't know anything about this?”
His eyes seemed to be boring into Mr. Kingley's very soul.
”Know? How should I know anything?” demanded Mr. Kingley, and he looked insulted.
”Several little things made me think that possibly you might know more about the Suns.h.i.+ne Islands and their queen than you admit,” Joe told him with more of that disagreeable significance. ”Maybe you know more about the Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne than I do,” he added, as Mr. Kingley turned away with a muttered exclamation.
”Yes, yes,” he said hastily. ”Bill told me about them, that they had threatened to make trouble for Miss Gilfooly. I told Bill then that she should ask for police protection, but Bill laughed at me and said Ka-kee-ta with his ax was worth a platoon of police.”
”I thought you would know about them,” Joe went on completely ignoring what Mr. Bill said. ”And perhaps you know about the special representative--I believe his name is Pitts? The Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne claimed they had him a prisoner.”
”I don't know a word about him!” Mr. Kingley seemed pained to hear that Joe thought that he did. ”I don't see why you come here, Cary, and talk to me as if I were implicated in this kidnaping. Why aren't you running down this clue you have? Did Ethel telephone to the insurance company?
Who got the number anyway? Are you sure that it's correct?”
”I'm sure. Johnny Gilfooly took the number, and he's a Boy Scout and trained to observe.”
”Why wasn't he looking after his sister? Aren't Boy Scouts trained to take care of their sisters?” Mr. Kingley sounded quite as unreasonable as he looked.
”Tessie sent him into the Bon Bon Box for some chocolates----”
”Then he didn't see his sister kidnaped?” Mr. Kingley interrupted quickly.
”Yes, he did. He was just coming out when he saw Tessie get into the car. It dashed away, but not before he had s.n.a.t.c.hed his pencil from his pocket and written the number on the box of candy. He did it mechanically, and when Tessie didn't come home, we were glad he did.
It's the only clue we have. It is mighty strange that she should have been carried away in your car, Mr. Kingley!” he insisted.
”Very, very strange,” agreed Mr. Kingley with a frown. ”And very strange that I didn't hear about the car until you came in. Why didn't Ethel telephone to me?”
”Your line was busy. And Bill-- Where is your son Bill, Mr. Kingley?” he asked sharply.
”My son Bill! Why--why--” What on earth was Joe Cary driving at. No wonder he stammered.
It seemed to Joe that he was just stammering to gain time.
”Yes, your son Bill!” he repeated sharply.
”What do you mean?” demanded Mr. Kingley.